VOTE!

My dad sent in my absentee ballot the other day! I encourage everyone to do the same or to physically go to the polling booth. Here are two videos for inspiration/comedic relief.

5 Friends


5 More Friends

Weekend and Me 12 Years Ago

This weekend was pretty busy, but fun nonetheless. On Saturday morning I got up at 8 and took the bus to Olympic Park so I could run. It was incredibly beautiful as the leaves are in the process of changing. There were many people on the walking/running paths, but it was still very peaceful. I didn't run as much as I would have liked, but then again I only started running three weeks ago. I am planning on running a 5K in December, but on Saturday I made it (running) about 1.5K and not all at the same time. I guess I'm more out of shape than I thought. However, I did walk the other 3.5K so I would know what this is going to entail. It's only 3 miles, I've never ran that much in my life, but I am very determined to do this 5K. I wasn't going to write about it until later, but with the cold I have, I haven't ran (or is it run...this is where English confuses me too) in 3 days and I need more motivation. What better way than telling the blog world about my intent.

After my "run" I came home and got ready to meet Kristin in Itaewon so we could go to the the travel agent. We booked our tickets to Japan! I am leaving Christmas Day for Osaka/Kyoto where I'll be until the 28th. Then its on to Tokyo, meeting up with a few Cottey girls and then spending the New Year in Tokyo. I'm pretty stoked. I've wanted to go to Japan since 8th grade where I learned a lot about the culture and I even did a Powerpoint (it was BRAND new then!) on Buddhism. Oh, and I also had my first and last sushi in 8th grade. However, I am planning on venturing down the sushi road while in Japan. It would be like coming to Korea and not trying kimchi.

After the travel agent, we went to lunch at a Mexican restaurant where I had the best margarita I've ever had. Yes, mom it was better than the ones at Papitos in Oxford! Then I headed to my first Korean class. It was the last class in the series so it was review, but I am excited to go again on Saturday. I meet some really awesome people and after class we all went to dinner and the bar. I called it an early evening, but promised to hang out more this coming weekend. It had been a long, rainy Saturday.

This week has already proved challenging. However, I am learning more and more everyday about how to deal with students. My main complaints/issues are my own lack of patience. In one of my classes I have to give directions about 10 times before one of them understands. Then it is a barrage of questions they would have the answer to if they had listened the first 10 times. It's incredibly frustrating to try to talk over these little monkeys. However they are improving from when I first started teaching them. I just need to practice more patience with them and I think they will start to listen/understand more. I think they can sense my frustration and they of course feed off of it. Not that I blame them, I'm almost certain I was the same way as a child.

I have a student, in grade 4 who reminds me so much of myself at age 11 so I can sympathize with her a little. I was not the best student, not in a sense of academics, but behavior wise. I'm sure mom and dad are laughing as they read this. This little girl is an outcast in her class. She is smart (she informed me that her IQ is 155 and I don't doubt it), but incredibly strange. She has major behavior problems, i.e. she doesn't listen, she is out of her chair constantly, etc. Today I had to put her in the hall for 1 minute (because she broke the first tier of my "no Korean" rule) and she came back and sat in her chair. When class had started, I told her to sit down 3 times and told her if she got out of her chair again I would stick her in the hall for the rest of class. We had a test today so she was in her chair for a good 20 minutes. However, she got out of her chair with about 15 minutes left in class. I gave her one more warning about being in the hall until class was over and she sat back down. Two minutes later, she was out of the chair. I told her to go stand in the hall. She was fine until the Korean teacher asked her what had happened. The rest of the class and I heard an uproar of crying and dry heaving and foot stomping. Typical behavior for this girl. Anyway, after class Ms. Grace (the principal) came in to talk to me and apparently the student told her that I had said she'd only have to be in the hall for 2 minutes (which is the punishment for the second tier of my "no Korean" rule.) When I explained to Ms. Grace what had really happened, with the student still present, she went insane. Stomping her feet, crying and dry heaving. Ahhh, it was a scene. I left shortly after Ms. Grace probably said something along the lines of "why did you lie to me?" and "stop crying, you are making a scene." I don't know if Ms. Grace wanted to talk to me more, but I had to get out of there.

So, I have to learn to deal with myself from 12 years ago. This of course goes right along with my "everything happens for a reason" theory. I was a horrible child so that I would have to face horrible children and feel really bad for the way I acted. Before this student, I did feel bad, but now I am appalled by my own behavior. If any of my elementary teachers happen upon this blog, this is my formal apology. I'm surprised that none of you were driven to drink. I was a pain in the ass. Many of the other teachers wish this student were removed from the school, but I kind of hope she sticks around. To teach me and to help me learn to deal with similar students. While she isn't a pleasure to teach and makes everyone uncomfortable, I still feel bad for her. I can identify with her. It has been yet another eventful week and it is only Tuesday.

A Message to Sarah Palin

Ideas, Kimchi Jjigae and Japan

Lately I have been trying to think of ways to make my classes more interesting and less of a routine. As a person who enjoys a certain routine it can be difficult to break that. However, I have come up with 2 ideas that will become routine and also allow the kids to learn and have fun. The first is a word of the day. Simple right? Why didn't I think of that before? I put the word on the board, write a sentence using the word and then give them the definition. If they can correctly use it in a sentence I give them a bonus points. My points are almost as useless as those on "Who's Line is it Anyway," but the kids like the idea of points. The second thing I have come up with is a word puzzle. I remember as a kid that we had the puzzles that used words and their positions to create a saying or something. For example, M1LLION=one in a million. The student who correctly guesses the word puzzle also earns a bonus point. However, this point is actually useful as they can bank them to raise test scores. I am generally a creative person so when my lessons lack sparkle or fun, I feel like I'm not doing a very good job teaching. The problem is the attention and focus on the set curriculum whether the students are understanding or not. Sometimes we might need to take longer and make sure we understand rather than plow through a textbook. However, sometimes we don't have to take as long so it might all pan out in the end. I'm trying to be more creative and have more fun and I have some great ideas and things planned so we'll see.

This evening I had the best dinner ever! I tried kimchi jjigae (김치 찌개) for the first time and it was so delicious. Very spicy, but worth it. I didn't take a picture of my exact jjigae, but here is an idea of what it looks like.

Kimchi jjigae is a stew with kimchi, onion, pork, tofu, sliced ddak (rice cakes) and green onion in it. It is served sizzling hot with a side of rice. I didn't eat the tofu in it, not that I don't like tofu, but before I left the States I was having some allergic reactions to soy and I didn't want to take any chances. All in all, my favorite meal in Korea so far.

I have decided to go to Japan for Christmas. Right now I think I'm leaving early evening of the 25th and returning late evening of the 1st. I will be flying into Osaka and I'll be there the until the afternoon/early evening of the 26th. Then it's off to Kyoto for 2-3 days and then Tokyo for the New Year. I am planning on going with my friend Kristin and also meeting up with a few of my Japanese Cottey girls. It should be an amazing time and although I stressed (and still am stressing a little) about the cost, it's something I would regret not doing. My theory right now is that yes, a savings account with money in it is a good thing. However, experiencing the world is a better idea. I'm in Korea to have new experiences and to explore and learn about the world I live in. All the money in the world can't replace knowledge and living my life. Of course this is only a theory and when my future children ask why they don't have a college fund, I might feel differently.

Dr. Fish and Simpsons Clue

This afternoon I met up with Loren and Megan in Gangnam to go to Dr. Fish. Loren and I were planning on going to Dr. Fish a few weeks back but couldn't find it in Sinchon. We lucked out today and found it and it was an experience. First of all, it's a cafe where you go and order drinks, chill and do what people do in a cafe. However, there are two shallow baths with fish swimming in them. We chose the tank with the big fish. Once you rinse your feet you put them into the baths along with hundreds of fish waiting to eat the bottoms of your feet. I guess they are a special kind of fish who apparently help people in Turkey with psorisis. Anyway, you leave your feet in the baths for about 20 minutes while fish constantly nibble. It's not really a ticklish experience, but rather the feeling of fine sandpaper lightly rubbing your feet. Here is a video I took of the fish and the cafe. It's not very good, but it's an idea of how Dr. Fish works.



After the fish nibbling, we went to Dos Tacos for some Mexican food and margaritas. I had a rather tasty chicken burrito. We sat outside and despite the constant haze over the city the past few days, it was a pretty nice day. After dinner we went shopping at Artbox where I got some new stationary and a 2009 calendar with the Korean holidays written in English. Then went to a board game cafe. We played Simpsons Clue and had a great time trying to remember the rules of Clue. Loren won the first time and Megan the last. I'm not a very good Clue player, but it was fun.

More Cute Kids

Here are two more pictures of my Kindergarteners (from the BIS website). The first is from a presentation they had with their reading books. Some of them are dressed in the Korean hanbok, traditional clothing. The second picture is of Mike and Jane at their birthday party. Click on the pictures to make them bigger.

Mandu Guk (만두국)

I decided to try and make some Korean food, mainly because I really wanted mandu guk (dumpling soup) and the place where I normally go is closed on Sunday. So I went to the grocery store bought some mandu and green onions (among other things I needed). I didn't have a recipe before I went to the store, but mandu guk is comprised of very simple ingredients. Traditionally mandu guk is eaten on the New Year and also during colder weather. Today was chilly and seemed a perfect start of fall dinner. Anyway, I found a very simple recipe:

1/8t. sesame oil
1/8t. soy sauce
6c. water
1 egg, mixed
2 green onions, chopped
salt and pepper
Mandu dumplings

I added sliced onion and sesame seeds (as a garnish) as well because the place I eat at has onion in their soup and tops it with sesame seeds and pepper. I omitted the gim (seaweed) because I forgot to pick it up from the grocery and 4oz of beef. Essentially you make an egg drop soup and add the mandu.

Anyway, start by heating a pot and when it's hot sautée the beef and sesame oil. Add the water and bring to a boil. Drop the dumplings in (I used 6, but you can use as many as you wish) and cook for 3-4 minutes. Add the green onions and onion. Season with salt and pepper. Cook for about a minute or until onions are soft. Spread the egg, but don't stir right away. When the egg is cooked, serve the soup in a bowl and garnish with the gim (seaweed), pepper and sesame seeds.

The soup was pretty good. Very easy. However, it needs a little bit of tweaking and I am looking for other recipes to compare and possibly change it to try again. If you are looking for something quick, easy and tasty then I would suggest trying this.

Jinju Lantern Festival

Even Seoul is seemingly calm in the morning. Before the sun rises and cars and people fill the streets. The sun rising over the Han River reflects off it's calm surface. The countryside is a different calm. Clouds rolling off the hills meeting with the lifting fog from the golden rice paddies. It's hard to tell if I am trapped in a cloud or just the fog itself. The leaves are beginning to turn, faint hues of red and orange dot the hillsides. Farmers alone with their crops, I with my thoughts on this sparsely populated bus. The sun squinting my eyes illuminating the beauty of Korea.

Very early Saturday morning Megan, Loren and I got a bus bound for Jinju. Jinju is in the southeast part of Korea and the bus ride is about 4 hours. I love traveling by bus in Korea because it's cheap, relatively quick and very efficient. It also allows for views of the countryside and traditional life. We got to Jinju at 11am and walked toward the river where the Lantern Festival was taking place. We found a hotel room at the Versace Hotel and then set off to view the lanterns and find some lunch. We crossed the river on a floating bridge and found a food tent for some bibimbap and beer. A perfect lunch on the banks of the river under the clear blue sky.

Later, we wanted to check out the bullfighting and after catching a taxi and arriving at the bull ring we discovered that there would be no bullfighting on Saturday. Kind of sad, but we checked out the Jinju Fortress instead. The fortress had great views of the river and the lanterns floating on it. The day was very serene and calming and the weather was absolutely perfect. After checking out the fortress we went to a silk store to see the famous Jinju silk and then headed to MiniStop for an afternoon of soju and chatting along the roadside. Later, we took a nap and then headed to the night time festivities at the Lantern Festival.

The lanterns looked awesome lit up on the river and I wish my pictures had been better. The place was packed with people waiting for the firework show and just checking out the lanterns. All of the lanterns are made of silk and it's pretty impressive to see what people can do with a little silk and wire. We saw the Statue of Liberty, kite fliers, lotus blossoms, tigers, entire buildings made of silk. The fireworks started at 8 and lasted only about 20 minutes. However, it was possibly the best firework show I ever seen. Plus, right across the river from us, a fire broke out. It was highly entertaining. After fireworks we got samgyopsal (BBQ) and called it a night.

It was a great weekend with friends and I am so glad I have the opportunity to take weekend trips around Korea. It's so nice to get out of Seoul sometimes and breath fresh air and see how the rest of the country lives. I love it!

Here is a collage of pictures, more can be found on my Picasa page.

Quick Update

Sorry for the almost week gap in blogging. It's out of sheer laziness and a great site to watch TV on. Sorry, Desperate Housewives, Brother and Sisters and Growing Pains were calling me this weekend. Anyway, it's the eve of Wednesday and my week does seem to fly by faster and faster, but still it drags on. Wednesday is my longest day, no breaks and a rambunctious group of kids. The past few days I've been so tired because I stayed up way too late over the weekend and over compensated by sleeping in. I haven't caught up yet.

I didn't do anything over the 3 day weekend. I feel a bit guilty about it, but I did have a pleasant weekend of TV watching, writing and green tea drinking. It was gorgeous this weekend so I took advantage of that by sitting on the roof and walking around the neighborhood. I could have explored some palaces and stuff, but I am waiting until my brother comes to do a whole lot more in Seoul. I kind of want to have the first hand experience along with him. However, I am planning to go to Jinju this weekend for a Lantern Festival. It should be pretty fun. It's about 4 hours from Seoul in the south eastern part of Korea.

On another note, my dad totally hooked me and my students up! I have been in the process of preparing pen pals for five of my classes and it is a lot of fun. The kids seem to be excited about the idea, but I'm not sure they quite understand the concept. Though I'm betting they will once they get their first letters. I'm putting the first batch of letters in the mail tomorrow. I feel pretty confident using the Korean post office now, after having to buy and send a box within Korea and I completed the entire transaction in Korean! Anyway, this means that people should start looking out for surprises from Korea. It saddens me that I have yet to find adequate post cards, but I'm on the look out and maybe this weekend I'll find some.

Also, I am hoping to go on a day trip to seem some autumn foliage, explore a cave and take a ferry ride toward the end of the month. It's a good deal and I will need to see some colorful trees or I might go crazy. The leaves that Seoul has to offer are slowly changing and if they hadn't pruned all the trees on the street by my apartment, I would be able to see the gorgeous colors from my window. However, Seoul does have it's fair share of parks, including Olympic Park. I have been meaning to go there for quite some time and I think this month might be good.